By Shivkumar Sharma | Project Leader
Dipesh, 28, lives with his parents in Thane, Maharashtra. He has an intellectual disability, total blindness and communication difficulties. When he joined the vocational training and centre-based programme in May 2022, he needed considerable support to communicate, understand new activities and manage everyday tasks.
His teacher used tactile objects, touch cues, verbal instructions and hand-over-hand guidance to introduce new activities. Dipesh learned to explore and identify objects through touch and began attempting to learn two to three Braille dots.
Developing everyday skills Alongside tactile learning, Dipesh practiced greeting shopkeepers, simple shopping activities and understanding money concepts. Regular teacher guidance and opportunities to practice at home helped him continue developing functional skills. He
enjoyed coming to the centre and was described as a caring person who liked looking after others.
From learning to livelihood
An important step in Dipesh’s progress has been his participation in flour-grinding work using a chakki atta machine. With support from his teacher and family, he began taking part in small assignments from people in his nearby community.
His parents receive the grain and grinding requests, maintain records of quantities in a notebook and support his participation. Dipesh is learning to put wheat into the machine and to weigh and pack flour with appropriate assistance.
Progress with family support
Through flour-grinding, Dipesh earns approximately 1,000–1,500 per month. His family continues to play a central role, reinforcing his learning at home and helping coordinate the flour-grinding work. Teachers provide guidance during home visits.
Dipesh shares his aspiration: “I will move forward with the help of my parents and teachers to maximise my own income.”
Thank you, GlobalGiving and its donors, for supporting Sense International India’s efforts to expand meaningful learning opportunities for persons with deafblindness and multiple disabilities.
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